Climate & Environment
Plastic Pollution
Definition
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic products and particles in the environment — on land, in rivers, oceans and air — resulting from production and consumption far exceeding waste management capacity. It spans visible debris, abandoned fishing gear, microplastics (fragments below 5 mm) and associated chemical additives, with an estimated tens of millions of tonnes entering aquatic ecosystems annually.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Plastic Pollution” is defined and used.
Source imported for editorial provenance.
Overview
How it is used
The term frames policy from single-use plastic bans and extended producer responsibility to the intergovernmental negotiating committee process; it is tracked through leakage modelling and monitoring.
Why it matters
Plastic pollution is one of the most visible and politically salient environmental crises, linking consumption patterns, waste governance and ocean health — and testing whether global cooperation can regulate a material's full life cycle.